WGN America, Tribune Studios Taps VH1 Exec to Oversee Unscripted

WGN America

Tom Huffman

Tom Huffman will serve as senior vp unscripted programming and will oversee reality development from Los Angeles.

Tribune continues to build out its team.

WGN America and the newly forged Tribune Studios have announced that Tom Huffman has been named senior vp unscripted programming. When he joins the company officially in October, he'll oversee unscripted series development for both properties.

"As Tribune continues its expansion into original programming, Tom brings a fantastic set of experience and point-of-view as both a producer and an executive, all of which will be essential as we create more unscripted programming for Tribune's local stations and WGN America,” WGN America and Tribune Studios president Matt Cherniss said in a statement announcing the news Tuesday. Huffman will be Los Angeles based and will report to Cherniss.

The veteran executive comes by way of VH1, where he most recently served as vp development and production. In that capacity, he oversaw 11 series, including Rehab With Dr. Drew and newly launched Hollywood Exes. Prior to VH1, Huffman was vp development at Shed Media U.S., where he co-created the long-running VH1 franchise Basketball Wives. Huffman also has worked as a development executive at Mark Burnett Productions.

The move continues Tribune's push into the original programming arena. Cherniss was tapped to oversee both entities in March, and within months had made an aggressive straight-to-series 13-episode order for Brannon Braga's high-profile Salem witch trials drama from Fox 21.